concealment, and back to the window;
dropped out, and was off on the run for the boarding-house. And twenty
minutes after he returned with the freight-house foreman and several
freight hands, armed, and with lanterns.

Entering by the door, he led them directly to the robber's box.

Sharply the foreman kicked at it, and called, "Hello, in there! Your
little game is up, my friend! Come out!"

There was no response, and he drew his revolver. "Open up quick, or I'll
shoot!"

"Oh, all right! All right!" cried a muffled voice hurriedly.

The next moment the Midway Junction "ghost" stepped grimly from his box,
and stood before them.

"But look here, youngster," ticked the chief despatcher, who some minutes
later followed Alex Ward on the wire in congratulating Jack on the
solution of the mystery, "don't you talk too much about this business, or
first thing you know they'll be taking you from the telegraph force, and
adding you to the detective department. We want you ourselves."

"No fear," laughed Jack. "I might try a matter like this once in a while,
but I want to work up as an operator, not a detective."

"You'll work up OK," declared the chief.

XII

IN A BAD FIX, AND OUT

"Good evening, young man!"

With a start Jack turned toward the quietly opened door of the
telegraph-room to discover a short, dark, heavily-bearded man, over whose
eyes was pulled a soft gray hat.

"I suppose you don't have many visitors at the station at this time of
night?" said the stranger, entering.

"No; but you are quite welcome. Have a chair," responded Jack
courteously.

To the young operator's surprise, the stranger drew the chair immediately
before him, and seating himself, leaned forward secretively. "My name is
Watts," he began, in a low voice, "and I've come on business. For you are
the lad who worked out that 'ghost' mystery here, and caused the capture
of the freight robber, aren't you?"

"Yes," confirmed Jack, in further wonder.

"I thought so. I thought as much. I know a clever lad when I see one. And
that was one of the cleverest bits of detective work I ever heard of,"
declared Mr. Watts, with a winning smile. "If the railroad detectives had
done their work as well, the whole freight-stealing gang would have been
landed. As it was none of the rest were caught, were they?"

[Illustration: THE STRANGER DREW THE CHAIR IMMEDIATELY BEFORE HIM,
AND SEATING HIMSELF, LEANED FORWARD SECRETIVELY.]

Instead of